


Face it Bravely

by natsora



Category: Mass Effect - All Media Types, Mass Effect: Andromeda
Genre: Angst, Blood and Injury, Blood and Violence, F/F, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-31
Updated: 2018-12-31
Packaged: 2019-09-26 01:15:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,757
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17132252
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/natsora/pseuds/natsora
Summary: Ursula Ryder took her favourite team configuration, Vetra and Drack, to investigate a possible Kett hideout only to discover it was a trap. Trapped behind a cave in, with limited ammo and medi-gel, the situation was dire. They had to find a way out and soon before they ran out of supplies or worse the Collective capture them.





	1. All Well

**Author's Note:**

  * For [RockPaperbackScissors](https://archiveofourown.org/users/RockPaperbackScissors/gifts).



> I hope you like the gift fic. I am not very well versed with the Vetra romance. The title was obviously lifted from your Tumblr blog and I've hope I've written Ursula Ryder the way you envision her.

The door hissed open behind Ryder, but she didn’t hear it. She was busy, fingers flying across the keyboard, typing into the terminal. Her face practically pressed against the screen. She sighed and rubbed her eyes and squinted. Something warm pressed against her bare arm and she flinched, her body jerking away in reflex. 

“Woah!”

Ryder blinked, realising it was Vetra with a mug of hot tea. “No coffee?”

Vetra shook her head, her mandibles fluttering disapprovingly. “It’s late, you should be resting, not working. Don’t we have a mission early tomorrow?”

“But I am almost done,” Ryder pointed out, gesturing at the report she was writing. 

“Tann can wait,” Vetra said, moving to shut the terminal down. “Go, bed, now.”

“Yes, madam,” she chuckled, her joints popping as she stood with a grunt. “Please save it, I’ve spent the last three hours accounting how we have been spending our budget. I don’t want to do it all over again.”

Vetra glowered. “Bed.”

“Ok, ok.”

Ryder slid into bed, hot mug between her hands, savouring the warmth as she watched Vetra working. She took small sips and felt the heat running down her throat and into her belly. Vetra, the all round ultra competent, tall and spiky operative, ran her talons over the keyboard. She grunted with satisfaction when the terminal powered down. 

“What are you looking at?” Vetra asked, her eyes narrowing suspiciously. 

Ryder took another sip, watching Vetra over the rim of her cup. “Nothing,” she replied. “Just admiring my beautiful girlfriend saving me from the tyranny of reports.”

“I’m doing nothing of that sort. I’m just making sure you’re not overworking yourself.” 

Ryder grinned and patted at the empty half of the bed. Vetra cocked her head. “Are you sure?”

“You’re already dressed for bed,” she said, “and there is one right here.”

Vetra looked at herself in mock surprise. She wasn’t wearing her usual armour but her looser fabric sleepwear. “What do you know, you’re right!”

She pulled the blankets off and took the cup from Ryder. The bed sank a little as Vetra lay down. There was a faint buzz as Vetra powered down her visor and placed it on the nightstand. Ryder sighed as she turned the lights off, pressed her back against Vetra’s chest. 

They shouldn’t fit. Hard plates and rough hide couldn’t possibly be a good match for soft and fragile human skin. Three fingers shouldn’t lace as well in a five fingered hand but they did, inexplicably. For that Ryder was always grateful. 

Vetra’s arms tightened around Ryder’s waist, her mouth pressed into the brown, verging on purple, locks. Ryder ran a gentle hand over the strong arms that held her. She fell asleep to the hums from Vetra’s dual-flanged throat. 

* * *

Swishes of fabric rubbing against fabric was the only sound Vetra could hear. She reached out to her side, searching for the warm body that pressed against her the night before. The empty spot she found was warm, not cold. She sighed. At least, Ryder hadn’t been up for long. 

There were the swishes again. She opened her hazel eyes and took in the sight before her. Ryder dressed in a loose tank top paired with a pair of yoga pants was in the downward dog pose. Vetra held herself still, not wanting to break Ryder’s concentration. She taking the time to care of herself instead of being hunched over the terminal typing out yet another report requested by Tann was rare. 

Her eyes traced the cords of muscles under Ryder’s skin as she transited into the Triangle pose. Ryder was the Pathfinder, her life was busy and pressurising enough, but still she took the time to get to know her and the others. As if dealing with the Kett, Roekaar and Collective wasn’t enough, she helped her out with Sid’s little problem. Vetra’s heart fluttered as she marvelled at the human she shared a bed with. With Ryder by her side, there was nothing she couldn’t face head on. As Ryder straightened, she realised Vetra was up. With a grin plastered on her face, she greeted “Good morning.” 

Vetra took a deep breath as she levered herself upright. “Morning.”

Perspiration beaded anew across Ryder’s forehead as she wiped her face with a towel. She checked the time on her omni-tool before grimacing. In that split second, Vetra saw the Pathfinder not Ursula Ryder. A frown creased Ryder’s brow as she exhaled. The relaxation she might have gained from the yoga session was dispelled in an instant. A weight settled solidly across her shoulders. Vetra bit back a sigh. 

“Time to get to work?” she asked. 

Ryder nodded. “SAM,” she called out. 

“Yes, Pathfinder?” came the reply instantly. 

“Tell the others to gather at the cargo bay in 30 minutes.”

* * *

“Here,” Vetra said as she helped the buckles on Ryder’s suit. 

“Thanks.”

Ryder glanced at the assembled team. Most of them were gearing up for the mission at hand. All of them people who had seen her through thick and thin, stood at her back, supporting her calls. She couldn’t quite believe how far she had come. Habitat-7 was an unmitigated disaster. Her father’s death, her almost death and elevation to the Pathfinder role. The past six months had a whirlwind of failures and triumphs. 

A bump against her shoulder jarred her from the thoughts. “Credit for your thoughts?” Vetra asked, her mandibles slack with concern. 

Ryder grinned. “Just thinking about how lucky I am to have met you.”

“Such a sap,” she said, but she couldn’t help the spread of her mandibles into a smile. “All right, what’s the mission, Pathfinder?”

The others were looking at her, awaiting their orders. She nodded, consulting her omni-tool briefly before clearing her throat. “So Mayor Tate over at Ditaeon had requested our help to train their militia. I agree with his assessment, relying on Sloane Kelly and her Outcasts for the defence of the outpost would be foolhardy. So I’m assigning Cora and Liam to help with that,” she said before turning to Jaal. “I know you don’t enjoy being on Kadara but I think it would do the colonists much good to learn Angara cultural dos and don’ts from you.”

“Of course, I’ll be happy to share any knowledge they need,” Jaal replied. 

She nodded before turning to Drack. “So Vetra, Drack and myself will be investigating the reported Kett outpost out by Draullir.”

“You bring me to all the nice places, kid.” He laughed as he secured his shotgun into its magnetic holster.

“Thought you’ll appreciate it.”

“What about me?” Peebee piped up. 

Ryder frowned, craning her neck to find the Asari. She was hidden behind Jaal’s and Drack’s bulk. “Peebee, you’re on Tempest duty today.”

“That means more time to work on Poc! Ryder you’re the best.”

She snorted. “All right, people you have your orders. Let’s get to it.”

* * *

“Why do you always get to have all the fun?” Drack groused as the Nomad lurched as Ryder launched them off another rock. 

“Cause I’m the Pathfinder.”

“You know there is a perfectly fine road just over there, why are we going over all these rocks?” Vetra pointed out, one hand braced against the frame of the Nomad, glad she hadn’t had a heavy breakfast. 

It was inconceivable that a person as logical as Ryder was, would opt to eschew the obvious path for the impossible inclines she insisted on putting the Nomad and in turn all of them through. 

“Where is the fun in that?” Drack and Ryder replied in unison, before laughing. 

“And that is why I like you, kid.”

“For that single reason only?” Ryder shot back. “I’m sure I’m more lovable than that.”

The playful barbs and banter were slung back and forth. Vetra listened and smiled. 

“Well, you bring me Kett hunting, so there’s that.” Drack counted out on his claws. 

“That’s just two. Don’t forget I let you cook adhi meat and feed it to us.”

“That’s true. So that’s three.”

Despite her less than ideal style of driving, she was completely confident in Ryder’s ability to see them through any situations. The fate of all Milky Way species weighed heavily across her slim human shoulders, but Vetra was determined to help her carry the burden. Now to actually stop Ryder from trying to make her vomit before they even got to their destination. 

“All right, brace yourself,” Ryder warned. 

Vetra turned her attention to the windscreen and her guts did an uncomfortable flop. “Spirits, Ryder. No!”

“Yes!” Drack barked at the same time.

Before them was a sheer drop. Somehow she had winded her way up a hill while Vetra was just enjoying the banter between the pair. The glint of mischief in Ryder’s eyes was all the warning Vetra had. The Nomad tipped forward. For a moment it teetered on the edge, neither moving forward nor backwards. The view before her was all brown Kadara rocks, sharp points and hard edges. 

“Where’s your sense of adventure?” Drack asked as he shifted his weight forward. 

That did the trick. The Nomad groaned and started rolling forward and more importantly downwards. Vetra clamped her mouth plates shut to keep the hysterical scream that was building in her throat back, while Ryder and Drack were whooping and cheering all the way down. The Nomad rattled and shook as if it was a shuttle re-entering the atmosphere, buffeted by winds and heat. By the time the vehicle levelled out and was once more on flat land, Vetra’s jaw ached. “You will be the death of me!” 

Ryder laughed, a sound so light and clear, Vetra forgave her instantly. “Sorry, but I just couldn’t resist.”

“That was the best one yet, kid,” Drack said. “But it is no match to the one I’ve tried while being chased by a couple of Maws on Tuchunka.”

Vetra felt a pressure over her thigh through the layers of armour, she looked down to find Ryder’s hand there. She could read the apology in the touch. Vetra covered Ryder’s hand with her own. 

“I call bullshit,” Ryder retorted. 

* * *

The Nomad glided to a stop smoothly. It was a testament to the work and hours Gil put into the vehicle. Ryder hopped out and patted the Nomad’s door affectionately after closing it. Vetra chuckled at the gesture. 

“What?” she asked, she couldn’t help the defensive tone she took. 

“Nothing,” Vetra replied innocently. 

Ryder shook her head and turned, only to find Drack shotgun in hand, heading towards the cave. He turned around and beckoned. “This isn’t my first rodeo. Come on, kid.”

She sighed and followed while Vetra brought up the rear. With Vetra at her back, she could always forged forward more confidently. 

But that was the last thing that went right. It didn’t take long before Ryder how flawed her intel was. 


	2. All Wrong

“Who told us this was a Kett outpost?” she yelled. 

“We received the intel via an anonymous tip,” SAM supplied helpfully. 

“Fuck, no,” Ryder cursed. “I did my due diligence. What else?”

“The tip has been cross referenced to reports of colonists and Angaras going missing in the area.”

She pressed her back against the rock, her assault rifle in her hands. Forcing her breathing to slow, she took aim. Crosshairs dancing over a helmeted head but no Collective armour could stop a slug fired from her specially modded weapon. A gentle squeeze on the trigger and the head exploded like an overripe watermelon. Red juice splattered across the rock. Her jaw clenched tight. 

This wasn’t supposed to happen. She checked and double checked, she always did. Never had it failed her this badly. She prided herself on her thorough preparation and careful caution. But it led to this, surrounded by the Collective because of her mistake. First for refusing to allow Sloane to be shot in the back and then to believe the Collective was done. 

“How fucking wrong I am,” she muttered under her breath. 

Ryder exhaled forcefully and focused on the battle. Their best bet was to retreat back to the Nomad. There was no benefit in staying here and get picked off one by one. One glance at Vetra and Drack, she could see four Collective agents moving in to flank them. 

“Vetra, Drack, your three o’clock!” 

“A little busy here!” Vetra replied. 

Ryder took aim and fired. She missed. The angle was wrong to get a proper shot. Holstering her rifle in favour for her pistol and Asari sword, she charged into the fray. Her flanking movement dropped two of the four quickly, but there were more coming. Drack roared as he reared up to head bash the nearest Collective agent while Vetra took a breather. 

“We’re leaving!” Ryder yelled over the echoing sounds of bullets against flesh. 

“What?” Drack replied. “I was just getting started.”

“You can get started on getting us out of here!” She impaled one on her Asari sword, the blade piercing through the seams of the armour easily. “I’ll cover your back!”

Another couple of booms came from Drack’s shotgun before he charged back towards the cave’s entrance. That prompted the Collective agents to surge forward. They clearly had no intentions to let them go. Ryder slammed her back against the same rock Vetra was using for cover. 

“You ok?” she panted. 

Vetra nodded tightly, slotting another magazine into her rifle, rising fluidly and firing. A cry in the distance, another Collective agent fell. A triumphant exclamation came through the comms. Their eyes met through the translucent visor, a challenge hovered between them. 

Ryder ranged forward. “Cover me!”

“I’ve got your six,” Vetra acknowledged

Pistol leading the way, Ryder was throwing cryo blasts ahead and following up with a barrage of bullets. Collective agents didn’t have the time to scream before they exploded to a million tiny pieces. By the time she was done, they were nothing more than a couple chunks of frozen flesh melting on the ground. A bark of a rifle, she pivoted on her foot attempting to dodge out of the way, but bullets slammed into her shields regardless. Hissing, she deployed energy drains, reinforcing her shields and forged ahead. 

It was a dance of deadly bullets and shimmering shields. Fingers squeezing triggers, rifles bucking, tech attacks sizzling through the air. What Ryder missed, Vetra took care. Always taking care of anything before it could become a problem. Her rifle boomed once, twice. When the enemy fell, only the ricocheting reverberations was all that was left. They were a team, a matched pair. With Vetra watching her six, there was nothing she needed to fear. 

“That’s the Pathfinder! The Charlatan wants that one!” 

“How many of them are there?” Ryder yelled pressing her back behind cover, reloading her pistol. 

“Spirits, it’s like every single last Collective agent is here,” Vetra replied. 

Ryder glanced back at Drack, he was almost out. “Time to go, Vetra!”

She moved from cover to cover, trusting her shields to take the hits, while Vetra kept the real threats at bay. As she slid next to Vetra, she tapped Vetra’s shoulder. “Go!”

Vetra retreated while Ryder covered her. Rock by rock, cover by cover, they leapfrogged backwards towards the entrance. 

“We can’t let them leave!” one Collective agent shouted. “Trigger the bomb!”

Ryder froze. “What bomb?” she hissed. “SAM?”

Before SAM could reply, her helmet’s audio input blew out. Ryder flinched, SAM lowered the audio volume abruptly. Even through the ringing in her ears, she realised what was happening. A series of explosives went off right along the ceiling of the cave, near its mouth. The entire cave shook dangerously. Ryder had to steady herself with a firm hand against the ground. The earth rumbled and groaned like a wounded beast. The enemies heading towards her forgotten as she turned towards Vetra and Drack. The ceiling cracked and split. 

“Get down!”

Rocks tumbled and crashed down towards Vetra. Her legs moved before she could give conscious thought. Hands stretching towards Vetra but not quite reaching. Ryder’s world went dark as the cave fell in on them. 

* * *

Ryder groaned. Her face feeling strangely cool even when the helmet was snug around her head. She blinked in the dim light. Sand was still settling as bits clattered against her armour, sprinkling dust across her face. Her body was sore, her head pounding. For a split second Ryder wondered if someone had spiked her drink, then memories came rushing back like a flood. She jerked into a sitting position.

“Vetra!”

She instantly regretted it. Her guts protested but she held it back, swallowing bile that burnt her throat. Glancing about she saw Vetra lying on the ground right next to her. She lifted a hand. Ryder moved quickly to grasp it. The contact settled all the buzzing bees of worry in her chest into a solid weight in her guts. 

“Hey,” she gasped, mandibles fluttering weakly. “I was worried you were going to oversleep.”

“No chance of that. We’ve got to get out of here. There’s no telling if more Collective agents are coming.”

“Ever the realist.”

“Someone’s got to be,” Ryder said as she quickly did a cursory visual examination of Vetra. 

Her torso and arms looked fine, mobile and protected by armour. Vetra’s hazel eyes were keen though pain glazed. As she traced Vetra’s form towards her lower extremities, she realised one of Vetra’s leg was trapped under a rock.

“Yeah, I don’t think I’m moving anywhere soon.”

Ryder didn’t speak, her fingers flying across her omni-tool, setting it to scan Vetra’s leg. As she did that, she called, “SAM.” 

No response. 

The stone of worry roiled about in her guts, threatening to make her heave again. It was probably the rocks that was blocking the signal. Her jaw tightened, pushing back her pain to deal with the situation. The omni-tool beeped, indicating the scan was done. Ryder’s eyes flicked through the report. 

“Shit.” She took a deep breath, looking at Vetra’s eyes. “I’ve got bad news and not so bad news.”

“No good news?” Vetra asked lightly. 

Ryder grimaced. 

“All right, give me the bad news first.”

“You’re not dying and you’re still stuck with me.”

Vetra chuckled before groaning. “Don’t do that again. I don’t think I can handle laughing right now.”

Her lips lifted into a small smile, relieved that Vetra could still laugh. “The not so bad news is you have a broken leg and it’s bleeding.”

She snorted. “I could have told you that,” she said, gesturing at her trapped leg.

“Ok, how’s your medi-gel situation?”

“I still have a couple of packs remaining,” Vetra reported after checking her omni-tool for her armour’s medical suite. 

“All right, we can do this. But we have to move quick.”

Vetra nodded tightly. “I trust you.”

* * *

Vetra watched from her awkward position as Ryder tossed her cracked helmet to the side. She set her omni-tool to keep trying to raise Drack or SAM. Thus far, it was fruitless. Then when she started to shed her vambraces, Vetra spoke out. “What are you doing?”

Ryder looked up, sweat was pouring from her forehead already. “Your leg needs to be splinted. We don’t have anything in the way for materials,” she said, gesturing at the rocks all around them. 

She grunted and laid her head back down. Keeping her breaths even and slow, Vetra could sort of float above the pain and pretend it wasn’t as bad as it was. But she knew they weren’t safe. They had to move and soon. Hopefully Drack had made it out since he wasn’t trapped on this side of the cave in. 

“The Charlatan must want you real bad if his people were wiling to drop a cave down on their own heads.”

Ryder grunted. Vetra shifted and tried to get a look at her again. But the angle just made the pain turned up into a fevered pitch. It climbed up her leg like fire. She lay back down, eyes closed, willing the pain away. The shuffling got nearer as Ryder came with her supplies in hand. Her eyes were raven black in the dim light. Her jaw set and her shoulders tensed. Vetra read stress and worry in every line on her body. 

“Are you ready?”

Mandibles tight against her face, she nodded. 

What happened next was a blur in Vetra’s memory. She was grateful for it. Shifting rocks, sharp shooting pain that pierced her leg, a keen pitched so high Vetra wasn’t sure it came from her own throat. She tried helping but the pain made her weak willed and faint. Ryder’s constant assurances was the tether that kept her on this side of consciousness. 

“This is going to hurt,” Ryder whispered. “Sorry.”

“Just do it,” she gasped between whimpers. 

As Ryder jerked her leg straight, she clawed against the ground, digging gorges into the rock. It was so intense Vetra was sure her leg had been amputated. It was lightning arcing up her hip. Then, a sudden flood of cool numbness spread from her leg to the rest of her body. She sighed, blinking. 

Ryder shuffled into view, tears standing in her eyes. “I’m sorry, I’m so fucking sorry.”

Vetra reached up and cupped her cheek. “No, you did good. It was the right thing.”

She leaned forward and rested her forehead against Vetra’s. Vetra stiffened, her breath caught in her throat and Ryder jerked backwards. “Shit, shit, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that. Did I hurt you?”

Vetra shook her head. Ryder had rested her forehead against hers. Did she know what that meant? It wasn’t merely what most thought was just a Turian version of a kiss, it was something that signified something more - a commitment, a bond, a promise. Her mandibles pressed tight against her face. This wasn’t the time or place to examine this. For all Vetra knew, it was a casual expression of affection among humans. 

The relative peace was broken when foreign voices bounced against the walls towards them. Ryder’s grip tightened over her arm. “We’ve got to go.”

Vetra nodded. “Help me.”

* * *

Ryder winced, pressed a hand against her ribs. She had checked earlier, shrapnel had pieced through the mesh at the side. The wounds oozed blood but it didn’t look too serious. Besides, there was nothing she could do. Time was of the essence and she needed to get Vetra’s leg splintered and them out of there. Adrenaline surpassed the pain but now that the immediate danger had passed, she was feeling it. Later, she promised. She would see to it later, as long as Vetra didn’t need more medi-gel to stem her bleeding leg. 

The break wasn’t that bad, Ryder was able to set it in a rudimentary fashion. With the makeshift splints tied together by using strips of a ripped up undersuit, Vetra could limp along. But the trail of blue blood that she was leaving behind was worrying. However, with three remaining packs of medi-gel between them, it would be prudent to only use them if they really had to. 

“Suck it up, Ryder,” she muttered. 

“What did you say?” Vetra stopped and turned to look at her. 

Oh damn, Turians and their superior hearing, she couldn’t help thinking. “No, I just wish we could get in contact with Drack. I don’t want to think we have left him buried under-“

Her voice broke, her jaw clenched, what her mouth couldn’t speak, her mind raced ahead and presented her mind’s eye with a bloody and broken Drack. She squeezed her eyes shut and sighed. 

“Hey, Drack is fine. He is probably out there, wondering what’s taking us so long.”

She nodded tightly, she knew it was useless dwelling on it. She had to focus on the problem she could fix. “Come on, we should move. I don’t like the look of this narrow passage way. And we have to find a way to boost the signal and get in touch with SAM.”

Vetra nodded and they resumed their slow walk. A shuffle forward led by Vetra, while she took up the rear. This time she needed to watch Vetra’s six and she was determined to do a better job this time. This mess was her responsibility and she intended to make sure they make it out in one piece. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All comments and kudos are appreciated!


	3. All Down Hill

Time stretched strangely. The Collective agents they encountered weren’t organised enough to handle them despite their injuries. But the worrying bit was their dwindling ammo supplies. Her comms crackled, sometimes she caught half a word here and there but the connection wasn’t strong enough to carry a conversation.

“I’m lost,” Vetra declared. 

The passage ways looked the same. Without SAM to help track, the situation they found themselves in was inevitable. Vetra grunted as she leaned against the wall. Ryder rushed forward. “Do you need another pack?”

“No.” The answer came too quick. 

Ryder had come to learn how to read Turians’ expressions fairly well. “You don’t have to put on a front for me,” she pointed out, pressed her hand over Vetra’s arm. 

She huffed, grimacing as she shifted her weight. “Ok, yeah. I think another one will help a lot.”

Ryder didn’t hesitate as she inserted another medi-gel pack into Vetra’s suit. The medical VI took over and she could see the moment the medi-gel hit Vetra’s system. The rigidity and the tension eased. She sagged to the ground. Ryder bore her weight, biting back the pain that flashed across her torso. 

“Sorry, shit,” Vetra said, standing steadier again. 

“Right, let’s get moving,” Ryder said. 

“Kid, do you read?” Drack’s voice crackled to life via their comms. 

Their eyes met for a second before Ryder replied, “I copy. Drack, are you ok?”

The rumbling laughter that came over her omni-tool eased her heart. “Takes more than a couple of rocks to end Drack.”

“Where are you?”

“By the Nomad.”

“We’re trapped inside, trying to find out way out.” 

“Still? Kid, it has been hours.” Despite the low fidelity of the audio through the layers of rocks, she could hear worry creeping into the old Krogan’s voice. 

“Get the others, we will need help when we find a way out,” she said, forcing her voice to be steady. 

Being confident and sure was her modus operandi, but that was only backed up intel, research and covering her bases. She had nothing here, blind, deaf and running low on supplies. Glancing over at Vetra, she found a pair of hazel eyes looking back at her. She straightened, ignoring the pain flaring up her chest. Fake it till you make it, she told herself. For Vetra, she could do that. 

“I’ve already got in contact with them but the Collective hit Ditaeon. It will be a while before Cora can bring the rest over. You might need to find a place to hole up for the night.”

“Fuck.” 

The expletive was laced with frustration. Her hands balled into fists as she fought the urge to slam them against the hard rock. A three fingered hand took her arm. She spun. Vetra brushed her hair out of her face, the sensation calmed her. 

“Hey, we’ll make it. Ok?”

Ryder took a deep breath. “Ok.”

* * *

They were lucky. SAM came online not long after they started moving again. With SAM’s help, they managed to figure out where they were and plotted a path to a potential refuge. 

“It’s an old Angara mining encampment, abandoned after the ore deposits had been depleted.”

“Lead the way, SAM” Ryder said. 

Vetra watched as she walked straighter and steadily. The worry that she might have been gotten hurt after the cave in and during all the fire fights they had along the way niggled at her. Her Pathfinder who path-found her heart wasn’t so good at taking care of herself, always putting others’ need before her own. As Vetra shuffled along as best she could on her broken leg, she resolved to check on Ryder when they got to somewhere safe. 

Ryder motioned for her to hang back. “Cover my ass,” she said. 

Vetra snorted. Trust Ryder to still joke and trying to keep her spirits up despite the situation. The outburst earlier was all but forgotten. Vetra tightened her grip on her pistol as she watched Ryder slipped around the bend, scouting out ahead. 

“SAM,” Vetra whispered to her omni-tool. 

There was only a faint crackle. “Spirits, these rocks.”

The minutes ticked by. Anxiety and concern were twin eirochs barreling down towards her. Her talon tapped softly against her pistol as she forced herself to breath evenly. “There is nothing to worry about. There hasn’t been any explosions, or gunfire. Everything is fine. Ryder is fine.”

A shuffle and Vetra stiffened, pistol snapping towards the sound. Ryder grinned as she held her hands up. “Don’t shoot.”

Vetra huffed a relieved sigh. “I take it you found us a place for the night.”

Ryder nodded. “Five star hotel service, complete with expired ration bars and a solid concrete bed.” 

She snorted, shifting her weight onto her bad leg and wincing. Ryder reached out, pulling her hand over her shoulder. The height difference between them made it awkward, but Vetra appreciated the gesture. 

The encampment was old, worn and run down. There was no doubt about it. But it had power and multiple exits and they all locked, that’s all they needed. Vetra sighed as she sank down onto the sandy floor. her splintered leg stretched out before her. Ryder hissed as she saw the makeshift bandages were all soaked blue. 

“I think you should take one more medi-gel pack. I don’t want your wound to get infected.”

She shook her head. “No, we should keep it in reserve.”

Ryder frowned, her jaw set, ready to argue the point. Vetra leaned her head against the wall. “Are you hurt? I saw you wincing a couple of time.”

She sighed. “Just sore. Bruised from the cave in, nothing medi-gel can do for me.”

Vetra looked at Ryder, her eyes searching Ryder’s dark ones. For a long time, neither spoke. In the end, she sighed. “Ok.”

Ryder sagged to the floor, exhaustion had finally catching up with her. “Get some sleep,” she said. “I’ll keep watch.”

She opened her mouth, her turn to protest, but Ryder guided her to lay on her back. “Your job,” Ryder said as she ran a gentle hand over Vetra’s mandible, “is to walk and run if you need to. So you need all the rest you can get now.”

Ryder leaned her back against the wall so that Vetra had her head just right by her hip. Even though their armour, Vetra could feel her presence. With fingers interlaced, she let weariness dragged her into an uneasy doze. 

* * *

After Vetra eased into a restless sleep, Ryder got back to her feet. She had to kill a couple of Collective agents to clear out the old encampment. And when the agents didn’t check in, more would bound to come investigate. They were in an ever tightening net. But there was an upside. The agents had some sort of tech on their omni-tools, giving them access to a network that boost their ability to communicate with the outside world. Now all she needed to do was to hijack the tech and it should enable her to speak to SAM more reliably. 

Her ribs and torso were alight with fire with every movement she made. Her mind strayed towards the two remaining medi-gel packs they had left. But one glance at Vetra’s bleeding leg dispelled all desire to use it on her own wounds. 

Her hands shook a little as she activated the flashlight function on her omni-tool, making sure to block the dim glow with her body so that Vetra wasn’t disturbed. Turning it over in her hands a couple of times, she wished for the umpteenth time she could speak to SAM. “Just get this figured out and I can speak to SAM,” she whispered. 

It looked simple enough, practically plug and play. After all, not all Collective agents were tech savvy. She held her breath as she plugged the tech to her omni-tool. Lines of codes ran over her screen, then it flickered and even her flashlight function died. 

“Shit.” Ryder sat in the dark, sagging against the cold wall. 

“Pathfinder.” SAM’s voice came through the tinny speakers of her omni-tool. 

“Damn, SAM. It’s good to hear your voice.”

“One moment.”

“Can you hear me?” SAM asked, this time via their private channel. 

“Yes.” It was a sigh of relief. Ryder hadn’t realised how tightly the entire situation had wound her up. 

“What happened over at Ditaeon? Anyone got hurt?” she asked as she gingerly unbuckled her chest piece to examine her wounds. 

SAM gave her the run down. Collective agents hidden amongst the populace of Ditaeon. Bombs, chaos and panic, but Cora had led the mostly still untrained militia to repel the attack and secure the outpost. There were injuries but no deaths. 

“A miracle then.” She hissed as the chest piece came loose. 

“No, Pathfinder. Just proper training and applications of skills.”

“Yeah, sorry. That.” Her breath caught as she had a proper look. 

Her undersuit was stained red and it wasn’t the dark red of dried blood but the brighter one of fresh flowing blood. The shredded skin wasn’t pretty, but it wasn’t her concern. Her right side was pork-marked by black holes running from breast to hip. 

“Pathfinder, you should apply medi-gel on that. You’ve losing blood steadily since you’ve received the wounds.”

“Can’t,” she gasped, looking at the wounds seemed to intensify the pain and it was all she could do not to black out from every tiny movement she made. 

“One moment,” SAM said and the pain that was a roaring fire licking up her side turned into a dull throb. 

“Thanks, SAM.” Tears leaked from the corner of her eyes. 

“I concur with your assessment. Operative Nyx will require the medi-gel more than you and it will be prudent to keep it back in reserve,” SAM intoned. “But…”

Ryder took small, sharp breaths. 

“But you are losing blood too quickly.”

A shaky chuckle escaped through her clenched teeth. “I thought so. I guess keeping the chest piece on will help. Pressure on the wound and all that.” she said. 

“Yes. I can help dull your pain receptors while we are in communication. But-“

“When we’ll not in contact, I’m shit out of luck?”

“Yes, Pathfinder.”

“Ok, ok. I can work with that. Something is better than nothing,” Ryder grunted, levering herself into a sitting position. “Crank it up a little more for this next bit.”

She didn’t wait, her movements were quick but jerky. Her fingers fumbled and they felt clumsy as she flipped the buckles. The additional pressure pressing against her wounds forced a heavy gasp from her as the final buckle was tightened. 

“Thanks for the help, SAM,” she whispered. 

“You should get some rest,” SAM said. 

“But I need to keep watch.”

“I can monitor the situation through their network.”

Ryder cocked her head. “You can do that even when I’m asleep?”

“Yes, it’s just passive monitoring.”

“All right,” she sighed as she slid to the floor, cold against the bare skin of her forearms. Her vambraces long since sacrificed to act as splints for Vetra’s leg. “I think I’ll grab some shut eye. Wake me up if you hear something.”

Her breathing slowed as she tried to ignore the slow trickle of blood at her side. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All comments and kudos are appreciated!


	4. All Brave

“Pathfinder.” The voice was insistent. 

Ryder groaned, her eyes glued shut by dried tears. Her muscles were stiff and sore as she stretched, forgetting about her wounds. The pain made her breath catch in her throat. Pressing a hand into her mouth to muffle the beginnings of a scream, she curled onto her good side. 

“Pathfinder, they are coming.”

That brought her all to way to full consciousness. “What?” she rasped, throat dry from having no water or food since the day before. 

“The tech, they are using it to trace your location. They are sending men your way,” SAM said.

“Shit,” she scrambled to yank the tech from her omni-tool, before stilling her hands. “If I do this, they’d know that we know.”

“Yes.”

“Fuck the damn Collective,” she growled. “I’m going to have to leave the omni-tool here.”

“Yes.”

“And that means, no connection with you.”

“No, I will try and maintain our connection but with the omni-tool it would make things easier. Without, it is less likely for me to geo-locate you.”

“I could just go where it hurts less,” Ryder pointed out. 

There was a pause, insignificant for organics but significant for SAM. “Yes,” he said eventually. 

She sighed, glancing at Vetra. “We should get moving. Meanwhile, I’ll keep trying to find a way out.”

“Drack has returned and the team is heading out to Draullir in 30 minutes.”

“Good. I don’t think we can keep running forever,” she said, checking her ammo. There was just a couple of magazines left. She had to savage some from the Collective agents soon. 

“Sending you a potential path to the extraction point.”

She glanced at it, taking the time to memorise it. But the anxiety of the incoming agents had her brain too scattered and fried to do it properly. “Fuck.”

She shifted towards Vetra and shook her shoulder. The keen that came from Vetra’s throat broke her heart. “I’m sorry, but we have to go.”

Vetra opened her hazel eyes, slightly more refreshed but still pain dulled. “They found us?”

“My fault, I plug into their network trying to reach SAM,” she said, moving quickly to insert a fresh medi-gel pack into Vetra’ armour before she could protest. 

“What about you?”

“I’ll be fine,” she replied brusquely as she replaced the blue soaked bandages with fresh ones. 

She sighed with relief to see Vetra’s leg wasn’t bleeding any longer. “Can you stand?”

Vetra nodded and pushed herself up with her good leg, mandibles pressed tight against her face. Ryder had her hands out, ready to catch her if she fell. 

“You have to go,” SAM said. 

“Shit. Ok,” she muttered, taking one more look at the path, praying she did actually memorised it all. “Talk to you later SAM.”

She ripped the omni-tool off her hand and unholstered her rifle. Turning back to glance at Vetra, their eyes met. Determination, resolve and sheer stubbornness made her straighten, her jaw tightened. Vetra was counting on her, she was counting on herself. Dying on Kadara wasn’t in the cards and she refused to just give up. 

Vetra seemed to sense how shaky her confidence was. Her mandibles parted slightly in a Turian smile. “I’ve got your six,” she said. 

Ryder nodded. “Let’s go.”

“See you on the other side, Pathfinder,” SAM whispered like a prayer. 

* * *

They made it out just in the nick of time, hearing the echoes of stealthy feet passing as they hid. Vetra couldn’t help the agitated flicking of her mandibles. It would be so easy to rush the group with a couple of omni-grenades and well placed shots. Ryder placed a hand on her arm and shook her head. 

“We’ve got to go,” she whispered, her face already paler before. 

Vetra took a deep breath and nodded. Though her leg wasn’t bleeding anymore, the pain a manageable dull pulse, her pace wasn’t going to get any faster. She followed as best she could while Ryder led the way. 

Ryder, no Ursula, was more than a girlfriend, a warm body to press against. She was her guide in this crazy cluster fuck of a galaxy, the single beacon of hope since she woke up in Heleus. She was her pathfinder. Their Pathfinder. 

Though Vetra was worried, seeing her sheen of clammy sweat over her face, Ryder’s feet were sure, direction unwavering and decisive. She had a lot of questions. Did Ryder sleep at all? Did she use the medi-gel for herself? Was she fine? But Vetra clamped her mouth plates shut, Ryder didn’t need these distracting questions. 

“Get your head in the game, Vetra,” she chided herself. “Inattention kills. This is not where you make your last stand.”

The passageways forked and splintered off into a million different directions, the warren of caves endless. Vetra plodded on, following, always following. Left, right, straight ahead. And eventually even the Pathfinder’s decisiveness faded. Ryder frowned as she examined the choices spread out in front of her. A hand pressed against her temple, another against her chest, Ryder bit back a curse and picked a direction at random. On and on, she shuffled as quickly as she could. More random choices at random crossroads. And eventually even the cool numbness provided by the medi-gel worn out. Mandibles pressed tight, mouth plates clenched shut, she endured. 

Every glance backwards by Ryder, Vetra offered a smile of encouragement. Every time Ryder slowed down, she said, “Go, I can keep up.”

It went from truths to lies to outright wishful thinking. Her steps were increasingly unsteady. It was inevitable and a miracle it hadn’t happen sooner. A stray bit of rock, a catch in her step and she went sprawling. The lancing pain turned into a supernova going off in her leg. The scream she let out was hastily cut short as she stuffed her hand into her mouth. 

Ryder hurried over. Pain made her vision go blurry. 

“I’ve got you, I’ve got you.”

A soothing hand over her face, as she closed her eyes to keep from whimpering. 

“Fuck, I’ve left the omni-tool back there. I’ve got to do this the hard way.”

More apologies flowed from Ryder’s mouth like a litany of prayers. The hand over her face disappeared leaving Vetra feeling empty and abandoned. Then, lightning pierced her leg, up to her hip and she bucked away. 

“Sorry, sorry.”

Her eyes opened to find Ryder examining the wound. The grim set of her shoulders told her everything she needed to know. But the familiar Ryder stubbornness came over her countenance. She fished out the last pack of medi-gel and before Vetra could protest, Ryder shoved it into her armour. The medical VI took over and the numbness hit like a Red Sand high. She shuddered uncontrollably. Hands half carrying, half dragging her towards a hidden corner. As she sagged against the wall, she saw the trail of blue blood she left in her wake. 

“Spirits,” she muttered. “I’m sorry, Ursula. I guess this is it.”

Ryder knelt down on one knee, making sure their eyes were levelled. Hands cupped her face as Ryder pressed her forehead against her own. 

“No.” The word spoken like a prayer. 

“No,” she repeated, this time a command, lifting her head from Vetra’s. “This is not it. I can’t face things bravely without you. So, fucking no.”

Vetra looked at Ryder as if for the first time. Her ashen face, marred with dirt and grime from the past day. Had it really been just a day ago when her world was right? Apparently so.

“Ok,” Vetra said, hushed and reverent. 

Ryder pressed her lips against Vetra’s. It was awkward, sloppy and desperate. Vetra shifted to meet hers. Soft pliable lips against rough, tough plates. It was supposed to feel wrong, but it didn’t. It was natural and Vetra needed it like she needed air. As they parted, Vetra gasped. 

“Sorry, did I hurt you?” Ryder asked anxiously, stepping apart from her. 

Vetra reached out and stopped her. Three trapped within five. “No. You didn’t. You gave me hope again.”

Ryder grinned. The moment of joviality was gone in a flash. She glanced about the small carven space they were in. “I will be back for you. Your leg can’t take anymore of my trial and error,” she said, the crease across her brow tightened. 

Vetra nodded. “I’ll be here, you know. Hanging out.”

“Take my rifle.”

She took the rifle and the remaining magazines Ryder had left while in turn she handed Ryder her pistol. 

“Be careful.”

Ryder nodded and disappeared down another fork. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All comments and kudos are appreciated!


	5. All Out

It was an exercise in torture. Using her body as a compass whenever she was faced with choices. Which way hurt less was the way she picked, but her heart clenched and thudded with worry and dread. 

“Faster, I have to go faster.”

Ryder pressed a hand against her ribs. She hissed, her side screaming in protest. It was wet. Looking down, she realised she had a darkening patch seeping through her armour. 

“Shit.”

Pushing herself off the wall, she started moving again. There was no time for doubts or fear. Vetra was counting on her and she wasn’t going to let her down. 

On and on she went, steps faltering, hiding in darkened side passageways, holding her breath and praying Collective agents would just pass her by. As much she would like to visit some fierce vengeance on the Collective agents, it wouldn’t be the most productive use of her time. The path that took her away from Vetra, she burnt into her mind. When she found the right path, not if, she needed to get back to Vetra quickly. She wouldn’t get lost a second time. 

“Pathfinder,” SAM said, “I’m picking up your geo-location.”

The relief that flooded her at his voice was better than any medi-gel she could wish for. “SAM,” she sighed as the pain was suddenly cut off. She shook in relief, she wasn’t aware how much pain she had been holding in. 

“Stop.”

Ryder’s footsteps faltered. “What?”

“You don’t have to walk any further. Beyond the opening ahead is the extraction point.” 

She lifted her head and squinted. 

“Cora and her team are heading towards you as we speak. You need to get both you and Operative Nyx to the extraction point.”

“Ok, ok,” she said. 

“You have to hurry, you are already going into shock.”

Ryder laughed, it was brittle and hollow. “Yeah, I know. But I regret nothing, not even using that last pack of medi-gel on Vetra.”

SAM didn’t replied for a while, she was sure she had lost him again. Then his voice came soft and, if she would ascribe emotions to her AI, scared. “I know.”

She ground her teeth together and started back towards Vetra. 

If seeking the way out was an exercise in torture, the way back to Vetra was ten folds worse. Every step was a step away from the sweet relief that SAM provided. Every stumble magnified the searing burn up her side. Every inch forward made her heart stutter strangely. Her head pounded and her chest ached but Ryder endured. 

For Vetra, she would.

* * *

Gunfire was the first sign things weren’t right. Gone was the pain, the exhaustion and the dizziness. She straightened, her grip on the pistol surer. 

Rushing in was foolhardy, she didn’t lasted this long by being stupid. She peeked into the caravan. Collective agents lobbed a grenade down a passageway. A flurry of choice Turian curses was unleashed as the grenade bounced back out, detonating at the Collective agents’ feet. 

Ryder grinned. “That’s my girl.”

Vetra was giving as good as she got now but she couldn’t move. Inevitably she would get flanked or run out of ammo. Ryder ducked down between cover and circled around. Asari sword at the ready and pistol in her hand, she charged into battle, trusting Vetra not to hit her. 

The sword hummed as it sliced through armour and flesh with equal ease. She moved like she was water, fluid and never still. There was a grace in her motion as she scattered blood with every pass of her blade, every buck of her pistol. But it didn’t take long before the pistol to click empty. There were still more enemies. Ryder took a risk, scooping up a spare magazine from the belt of a fallen enemy and taking the time to reload. But the battlefield was waited for nobody. A concussive round slammed into her shields, it held but the impact sent her crashing into the wall. Her lungs felt crushed as she coughed, choking on dust and sand. Crawling on her hands and feet, Ryder found cover. 

“Ryder!” Vetra shouted, high with panic and fear. 

“I’m fine,” she replied, coughing harder. 

Ryder grimaced, hugging her side. Something wet hit the ground. It wasn’t blood, she insisted, refusing to look. She checked the magazine she risked her life for. “Shit,” she hissed. 

It was half empty. “And it couldn’t be a full clip.”

Sneaking a peek over the cover only to be forced back by the return fire, she shouted, “A little help?”

“Standby,” Vetra replied. 

Whatever Vetra was going to do was going to be quick. She readied herself, muscles tensed, ready to move in an instant. It was up to her to end things. Vetra could cover her six. The firing rate from Vetra’s corner picked up as she fired round after round of concussive shot. The cave shook and shuddered. Ryder didn’t spare a thought about an imminent cave in, instead she rushed out. Pistol firing pinpoint accurate slugs, Asari blade singing a death aria. By the time they were done, Ryder was all red and dripping. Blood hers and not were sluicing off her suit. 

She staggered towards Vetra. “Are you ok?” 

Vetra sighed, pushing the rifle away. It was empty and useless now. “I’ve been better,” her voice shaky, betraying how close it was despite her light tone. 

Ryder squatted down, pulling Vetra’s arm over her shoulder and helped her up. “Come on, I know the way out.”

* * *

“Are you all right?” Vetra asked. 

With her arm over Ryder’s shoulder, she could feel the way Ryder was trembling. Was it through exhaustion, fear or blood loss, Vetra had no way to tell. As much as she wanted to bear her own weight, her leg wasn’t able to anymore. They had to keep moving and get to the extraction point soon. 

Ryder grunted in reply, she didn’t have the breath for a conversation. Her mouth was half open, panting from the exertion. With Vetra leaning against her, it was like they were participating in a horrible three-legged race. It was obvious the way she hissed and winced, she had been hurt. Vetra had seen the red leaking from between the shattered plates of her armour. What a pair they made, a trail of red and blue behind them, nothing left but a pistol with half a magazine between them. 

Vetra couldn’t help the hysterical laughter that erupted from her throat. Ryder glanced at her, an eyebrow raised in question, but never slowing down, not when the finishing line was so close. 

“I wouldn’t want to be here with anyone else,” Vetra said. 

Ryder grinned, all sharp teeth and raw determination, her thin veil of normalcy keeping both of them going. “This isn’t what I’d choose for a romantic getaway. Come experience the hospitality of the Collective. Rustic accommodations and local activities are bound to delight.”

Vetra snorted, stumbling a little. Ryder hissed, more blood leaked from her amour. 

“Spirits, Ryder when were you hurt? Was it just now?”

Her jaw tightened, not answering. They plodded on for a while in silence, laboured breathing acting as the soundtrack of their flight. 

“The cave in.”

“Ryder.” Vetra couldn’t keep the admonishment from her voice. “You should have used the medi-gel.”

“You needed it more.”

More shuffling, more panting. Then a sigh.

“You can be selfish, you know? You don’t have to carry everything on your shoulders. I can take care of myself.”

“I know, but I want to take care of you. All your life, you took care of Sid and now me. Like you said, this is a two way street. With you by my side, watching my six, I can do anything, face everything, every stress, every new problem, the Roekaar, the Kett, even Tann.

Vetra chuckled. 

“So I want to do that for you too. You can lean on me,” Ryder said. “Literally.”

Before she could reply, Ryder straightened, relief and excitement rolling off of her in waves. “There. Just beyond.”

Vetra observed, Ryder was breathing easier, taking her weight better, even though her skin still looked sickly and grey. “Come on.”

As they moved beyond the opening, they stepped out into a large cave. There was no other paths in or out beyond the one they had used. As Vetra lifted her head, she saw their only way out was an opening above their heads, at least 20 metres upwards with sheer smooth walls all around. 

“You got to be fucking kidding me,” Ryder exploded. 

* * *

“Cora and her team will be arriving shortly,” SAM said. 

“What is the fucking use of that? We can’t climb these walls!” Ryder all but shouted. “Even with jump jets, the opening is just too high.”

Despair and dread wasn’t something she was used to. It was the weight across her shoulders, the noose around her throat, the gun at the back of her skull. They had nothing, no defences, barely any ammo and they had left a trail a mile wide. 

Vetra tightened her grip on her arm. “Ursula.”

A single word, it wasn’t an admonishment, it was a word of support, a pillar of strength for her to draw on. She took a deep breath and sighed. 

“ETA?.”

“Two minutes.”

“Ok, ok, we can do two minutes,” she muttered. 

She moved easier now that SAM was within range. Her pain all but dulled, though her head continued to throb and her heart still stuttered oddly. Vetra watched her, worry evident in her hazel eyes. 

“We should prepare,” she said. “The Collective is bound to come. With our luck, they are already here.”

Vetra nodded, mandibles tightened in anxiety. 

Ryder sighed and stilled her shaking hands angrily. “I’m fine. I really am. Nothing medi-gel can’t fix.”

Vetra’s eyes narrowed, disbelief written all over her face, but she nodded. “Hey, we’ll make it. You and I.”

Ryder nodded. “Promise.”

For a moment, eyes meeting, fingers intertwining, time seemed to stand still. A voice rang out, “They’re here! Get them!”

Peace shattered and all hell broke loose. She dragged Vetra behind cover. Bullets plinked against it as they cowered behind. “ETA SAM?” she shouted. 

“60 seconds, Pathfinder.”

“Surround them! The Charlatan will pay handsomely for the Pathfinder, kill the other one!”

Ryder stiffened, shifting her weight to face the threat. Vetra’s hand tightened on her arm. Hazel eyes begging, pleading. Stay, it said. Don’t go, it prayed. Teeth gritting, she stilled. With a pistol between them, as much as the Collective wanted her alive, they didn’t mention anything about a couple of extra holes. 

“Ryder!” Cora’s voice rang out. 

They peered up. Cora and her team were lowering a cable down while Drack was roaring, already leaping down from the top. Ryder grinned, hope soared in her chest. 

Ryder’s memories went fuzzy at this point. She remembered how her body went cold as a trio of grenades landed at their feet. The agonisingly slow exchange of a look of horror between them. She launched herself in a dive towards the first, flinging it back in a panic. Vetra got the second. She laid eyes on the third. It was blinking red, its frequency increasing, the beeping shrill. 

Her heart stuttered and clenched painfully. There was no thinking. Visions of Vetra ripped up and bleeding flashed across her mind’s eye. There was only action. With a roar, Ryder twisted and wrapped her body around Vetra’s as best she could. 

The grunt of pain that whooshed out of Vetra’s mouth as they collided rasped by her ear. Then her world shattered. A loud explosion, a rush of hot air, a million needles slammed into her back, making past her damaged armour, through plates and mesh into her skin and flesh. The pain robbed her of her breath, her thoughts and her sanity. Her world went white hot before darkening at the edges. 

“Ryder!” Someone screamed. A high pitch keen rang out as a three-fingered hand touched her face. 

The voice begged and begged. “Hold on, hold on,” it said over and over. 

She gasped and hand reaching up towards the pair of hazel eyes. Three intertwined with five, so right, so true. Pieces fitting together in a way nothing else did. The sweet relief of oblivion beckoned. 

“Ryder!” 

The call of her name chased her all the way into the depths of darkness. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All comments and kudos are appreciated.


	6. All Together

Consciousness ebbed and flowed like the tides. Shrill beeping and violent hands on her torso, pushing and pressing. Her ribs bending and flexing till it could take no more, snapped. Drugs infused through her veins and the tendrils of the murky depths dragged her under again. 

The next time was gentler. The beeping and hissing of machinery slow and steady. Something hard and unyielding between her teeth, snaking down her throat, uncomfortable and irritating. A weight against her arm, hard plates against her skin, blunted talons curled against her fingers, a soft keen that tugged at her chest in a way she couldn’t explain. Despite the fog in her mind, she knew what she had to do. Her limbs were lead but if only she could move her fingers. Concentration frayed as she fought to control her body. It was like fighting through quick sand. A single twitch and the weight disappeared, the warmth gone. She sank once more under the quick sand. 

The third time had got to be the charm. Her chest and back was a single large dull throb. Pain barely kept at bay by drugs. Their jaws snapping, promising agony of a higher plane just beyond its barred gates. Cotton in her head and fuzz in her ears, her world was altogether far away and ethereal. Eyes gummed together by the gunk of sleep and exhaustion. She fought to pull them open. When she succeeded, she never felt more accomplished. A familiar white ceiling, the recognisable hum of the mass effect core of the Tempest. She was in the med-bay. But how? Flashes of explosion, pain and a voice that begged her to stay. 

Vetra! 

Ryder jerked up and regretted it instantly. Pain shot up her body, it left her trembling as tears welled up in her eyes. A moan, low and hoarse was loose from her throat. 

“Ursula!” 

A shifting and a welcome face hovered into view. Her mandibles were slack in part from exhaustion, in part from pure relief. “I should get Lexi.”

Ryder felt bereaved as she left. Lexi’s was the next face that came into view. Dark blue eye bags hung under her eyes. A mix of exasperation and warmth on her face, she asked, “How are you feeling?”

“Like shit.”

“That’s an understatement,” Vetra said coming back into view. 

Ryder reached towards her, fingers twitching, hand trembling, begging without words. Vetra hobbled over as quickly as she could and took her hand into her own. Lexi grimaced in disapproval at the hurried walk. The grip was tight, almost painfully so. It was a touch that spoke of fear, of anxiety and worry. 

“You are very, very lucky,” Lexi went on, activating the scanner above the bed. “We almost lost you.”

Vetra’s grip tightened. Ryder traced circles over Vetra’s hand, soothing and seeking assurances herself. “I won’t go into the details now but suffice it to say we’re heading back to the Hyperion so that we have the proper facilities to remove all the shrapnel. Much of the damage _couldn’t_ actually be fixed with medi-gel.” 

“But I have work-“

“No buts,” Vetra interjected. “You died. And if Lexi couldn’t revive you…”

Her voice broke, words tumbling into a sharp keen. Ryder’s heart clenched, teeth biting into lip. “No, no, I’m still here. I will always be here. I’m not going anywhere.”

“You can’t promise that.”

Lexi took her cue to leave, giving the pair their privacy after she was satisfied with the details of the scans. Ryder fought to push herself upright, arms pulled Vetra closer despite the tug against the IVs threading into her arm. 

Vetra hissed and pressed her back down gently. “Don’t ever do that again,” she chided, eyes flashing in anger. “You scared me! Spirits, you scared the shit out of me.”

She sighed, leaning back against the pillows. “I’m sorry, for scaring you.”

But “not sorry for saving your life” was the spectre that hung between them. 

Ryder fidgeted. The thin hospital gown she wore itched, she fought against the urge to scratch. The silence was awkward and heavy. One hand brushed against the bandages covering her entire torso, marvelling at how they held her together. She didn’t need to see the wounds to know how bad they were. The fear in Vetra’s eyes made it real. Eventually Vetra sat down, her own wounds taking its toil. 

“Does it hurt?” Ryder asked, finger gesturing towards Vetra’s leg. 

“A little but the bone will heal well,” Vetra said. “Lexi said the splints and medi-gel saved the leg.”

Ryder nodded. The tears came, slow and tentatively at first. Suddenly one hand holding Vetra’s wasn’t enough as the realisation hit her. She almost died. She almost left the person she wanted to protect the most alone. Despite her best of intentions, she had caused hurt. Her other hand clutched Vetra’s arm and dragged her closer. 

“Hold me.”

Vetra wasted no time, shifting as close as the awkward position allowed them. Her head rested lightly against Ryder’s shoulder, mindful of the life saving surgery she had mere hours ago. Neither couldn’t help the tremors that ran through their bodies. They both clung onto each other like they would a life raft in a stormy sea threatening to drown them in the reality of their jobs and situation. 

“I was supposed to have your back, I was supposed to watch your six. I failed you,” Vetra muttered into her collarbone. 

Ryder shook her head, hair flopping over her face. “No, I’ve made a bad call. I didn’t prepare enough. I walked us into an ambush. You could have lost your leg. All of this is my fault.”

Words flowed between them when it was so hard before. It eased a knot in their chests. Hands touching to make sure that either of them were here, were real. It wasn’t a dream in a nightmare that never ended. 

Eventually, Ryder shifted enough to allow Vetra to climb into the bed. Forehead rested against forehead, Vetra’s talons stroking Ryder’s hair. Chest rising and falling in unison. A reassuring hum vibrated from Vetra’s chest. A familiar song drifted from her throat. 

_You don’t see what you possess, a beauty calm and clear  
It floods the sky and blurs the darkness like a chandelier_

Ryder stared at her in wonder. It was a song she had shared with Vetra. A song that spoke of her feelings for Vetra when her own words were inadequate. As Vetra took a breath, Ryder picked up where she left off. Her voice breathy and low.

_All the light that you possess is skewed by lakes and seas  
The shattered surface, so imperfect, is all that you believe_

Vetra’s mandibles quivered with emotions felt unspoken, hazel eyes looking upon her. Ryder was humbled by the depths of love and trust she saw in there. Her jaw tightened as tears threatened to fall. Vetra picked up when she couldn’t.

_I will bring a mirror, so silver, so exact  
So precise and so pristine, a perfect pane of glass_

Ryder’s voice joined Vetra’s, voice breaking and quivering. She willed her eyes and her touch to communicate things she didn’t say enough of. 

_I will set the mirror up to face the blackened sky  
You will see your beauty every moment that you rise_

They lapsed into silence. Ryder didn’t dare to move lest the moment was shattered and lost forever. Despite all the pain it took to get here, the ordeal gave her a clarity that sharpened her love for the woman she held and was held by. 

“I can face everything with you.” Her voice reverent and her touch gentle.

“We,” Vetra corrected, her voice matching Ryder’s. “We can face it all together, side by side, back to back, against the Kett, the Roekaar and everything else in between, bravely.”

“Bravely,” Ryder whispered, “I promise.”

**Lyrics taken from[You are the Moon by The Hush Sound](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpUP0jjicqY)**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All comments and kudos are appreciated!

**Author's Note:**

> All comments and kudos are appreciated!


End file.
